Diana was dead—reduced to nothing but sand.
That was the news Lothar learned from Gaitz the next morning.
After preparing breakfast, the robotic cat, clad in a yellow polka-dotted apron, recounted the events that had transpired outside the base the previous night. Not stopping there, Gaitz even played back footage of Diana disintegrating into sand for Lothar to see.
The scene looped repeatedly on the holographic display in the dining hall.
When Astra, drawn in by the aroma of food, arrived while still groggy from sleep, his first sight was Diana turning to sand over and over again on the screen.
His drowsy eyes widened in shock, and his sleepiness vanished in an instant.
Watching Diana disintegrate on a loop, witnessing himself repeatedly bending down to pick up the bottle of liquor buried beneath the fine grains of sand—whatever grief had weighed on Astra's chest the night before now evaporated without a trace.
…???
"Good morning, Lord Astra."
The robotic cat raised a paw in greeting, its head tilted upward, mouth splitting into a wide, cheerful grin.
"Morning, little kitty," Astra replied, rubbing his unkempt beard. He cast a glance at the feast laid out on the table, bent down slightly, and returned the greeting with a smile.
After exchanging pleasantries with Gaitz, Astra plopped himself down with an air of confidence, setting his sights on the table, ready to dig in—only to realize, with growing alarm, that the food was vanishing at an astonishing rate!
…???
Under Astra's bewildered gaze, Lothar was devouring the entire feast at a slow yet utterly relentless pace, consuming dish after dish as though an unstoppable force of nature.
"This…"
"My apologies, Lord Astra," Gaitz explained. "I did not prepare breakfast for you. Everything here belongs to Lord Lothar. If you need sustenance, you may take a shuttle to the neighboring warship garrison. They have a dedicated mess hall for the troops."
"…Alternatively, you may choose to consume a nutrient supplement. However, I must warn you, the taste is less than pleasant. Gaitz strongly recommends taking the shuttle."
"…"
Astra wondered if he had misheard.
This entire banquet… was meant for Lothar alone?!
"You're joking, right?" Astra voiced his skepticism.
"Lord Astra, Gaitz's programming does not include the option to lie." The robotic cat scratched the back of its head with a tiny paw, grinning as it began clearing the emptied plates from the table, placing them neatly onto the food cart.
"In fact, this isn't even all of it. There are still thirty-seven more dishes in the kitchen. Well, no time to chat—I need to serve the rest."
Waving goodbye to the dumbfounded Astra, Gaitz scurried off, his tiny legs pushing the cart toward the kitchen.
Thirty minutes later…
Having failed to claim even a sip of soup, Astra was left furiously gnawing on a hardened nutrient bar. The dull green of the bar matched the color of his helmet, creating a rather tragic symmetry.
He simply couldn't understand—how did Lothar have such an unfathomable appetite?!
Wasn't he afraid of bursting?
Was this what they meant by the saying: "The bold feast while the timid starve"?
Or were all Titans just this gluttonous by nature?
More importantly, with all that food, couldn't Lothar have spared him at least a bowl of soup?!
The more Astra chewed on the flavorless, chalky nutrient bar, the angrier he became. But alas, despite his impressive physique, he knew he was no match for Lothar when it came to fighting for food. He had no choice but to accept his fate.
"Lord Lothar, Lord Thanos has summoned you."
Only after Lothar had eaten his fill did Gaitz relay the message from the Mad Titan himself.
"I understand."
Wiping his lips, Lothar cast a glance at Astra, who was still gnawing resentfully on his nutrient bar, then rose and left.
"Father?"
Lothar navigated the halls of the stronghold with practiced ease, eventually arriving at the throne room. After bowing respectfully, he noticed that he was not the only one summoned.
Two figures, both rarely seen within the Black Quadrant, were already there—two of the Black Order's generals: Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive.
"This time, your mission concerns the Skrull Empire," Thanos stated, his deep voice reverberating through the chamber. "To be precise, your targets are Baltan, Gazzler, Aurgus, and Magar."
Lothar's arrival did nothing to interrupt his father's briefing.
"Magar has already been eliminated by Lothar. That leaves Baltan, Gazzler, and Aurgus as your remaining objectives."
"But, Lord Thanos," Proxima Midnight interjected, her expression puzzled. "Did you not order us to attack the Kree Empire yesterday?"
At her question, Thanos did not immediately reply. Instead, he tapped a finger rhythmically against the armrest of his throne. The measured silence was enough for Proxima Midnight to understand. She bowed.
"I see."
"Your forces will engage and distract their armies. Lothar will handle the rest."
A surgical strike.
This was what Lothar excelled at. And once the assassinations were complete, Thanos' bargain with Astra would be fulfilled, securing the coordinates to a mysterious source of power.
"Father, why did you agree to this deal?"
Once Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive had taken their leave, Lothar finally voiced the question that had been nagging at him.
Astra was pitifully weak.
Lothar could swear on his life—if Thanos had handed Astra over to him, he could have devised a hundred ways to make him beg for mercy and spill every secret he knew.
Yet Thanos hadn't.
Instead, he had chosen to honor the deal.
"You think Astra is weak, that he poses no real threat to us. Don't you?"
Thanos regarded his most promising son with a knowing smile before rising from his throne.
"You're wrong."
"You believe he lacks the power to oppose you, but that is precisely the trap he has laid for you."
"Do you remember what I once told you? Never let arrogance blind you."
As a member of the Eternal Titans, Thanos possessed a unique sensitivity to the intangible. He could sense the extraordinary nature of the energy lurking within Astra—a power that resided on a purely spiritual plane.
More importantly, the entity that had granted Astra this power seemed to be searching for something through him. Any rash use of force would undoubtedly alert that being, an outcome Thanos wished to avoid. At least… not yet.
"The most harmless-seeming threats often prove to be the deadliest."
"I have seen a single grain of sand, longing for companionship, summon an endless tide that drowned an entire galaxy. And I have seen a single blade of grass, driven by rage, rise up and sever a falling meteor."
"So, Lothar, I hope you will remember this lesson."
"This universe is vast, filled with forces beyond comprehension. You must learn to use the power within you to perceive all that surrounds you."
"This will be your next trial. Do you understand?"
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